best places for dumpster diving

[sloopjonboswell]

i think the new england states probably have the best dumpsters to sift through. dunkin doughnuts was probably the best dumpster score i saw in 07, lincoln i believe it was. terrible pickings in waynesboro, va...anybody else?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Not sure the question is "best places?", but "why?"

[Bob S]

When I was a kid 7 or 8 years old in the 60s a friend and I did this.

But now?????

And I’m sure it’s frowned upon by the stores and police.

There is enough reasons for town folk to not like thru-hikers, why add to the list?

[warraghiyagey]

And the 'Excellent Point of the Day Award' goes to . . .

There is enough reasons for town folk to not like thru-hikers, why add to the list?

[sloopjonboswell]

shoulda seen that bag of doughnuts.

[STEVEM]

http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-yo...ing-271210.php

[sloopjonboswell]

nice article. its good to share the booty too. i remember a fine meal of nearly fresh vegetables- onions, zuke, squash, nearly fresh fungi, sauteed to perfection somewhere in the middle of the shens.

[Appalachian Tater]

http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-yo...ing-271210.php

You don't even have to dumpster-dive in Manhattan, stuff is sitting out on the sidewalk for the taking. I am trying to think of someone I know well enough to have been in their apartment who DOESN'T have something found on the street and cannot.

In any town with a college or university, there are great pickings at the end of the school year. The furniture may not be of the highest quality but you can get everything from microwaves, TVs, desk lamps, mini-refrigerators, to all kinds of kitchen stuff, etc. Most of the stuff is only 9 months old.

[Bob S]

You don't even have to dumpster-dive in Manhattan, stuff is sitting out on the sidewalk for the taking. I am trying to think of someone I know well enough to have been in their apartment who DOESN'T have something found on the street and cannot.

In any town with a college or university, there are great pickings at the end of the school year. The furniture may not be of the highest quality but you can get everything from microwaves, TVs, desk lamps, mini-refrigerators, to all kinds of kitchen stuff, etc. Most of the stuff is only 9 months old.

I have my own carpet cleaning co. I use to clean the dorms at Bowling Green State University after the kids moved out for the semester. They would leave all kinds of good things behind. The management said we were allowed to take them if we wanted, but this is a lot different then digging into a dumpster in a town you are walking through.

[sloopjonboswell]

yes, ok, this is frowned upon. hikers with big bankrolls, whatever you do, dont go looking for any free food when your in town. the idea is that no one sees you... and you get free food. (anti capitalist rhetoric aside) the good nature and camraderie that a good dumpster meal creates is wonderful. so what if i pluck a bag of ruffles thats sitting on top of an oversided trashcan? i wouldnt have thought of it when i had plenty of cash the first 700 miles.

[warraghiyagey]

Well, it's not like I haven't been VERRRRRRY liberal with the 5 second rule in my life. And my sweet tooth has definitely pulled a dessert cake or two from the garbage . . . with my other senses on high alert that no one saw me.

[fiddlehead]

Once i was eating at the Bellagio in Vegas at their buffet.
I noticed a woman (employee) throwing all of the pastries in a certain section into a garbage can. I went and asked her what she was doing.
She said "they've been out here longer than 20 minutes, it's time to throw them away"
I said: "what about the homeless people, why don't you feed them to them?"
She said: "the homeless people eat good in this town.

[Mountain Dew]

I know a contra dancer that surely knows the answer to this question....

[Pokey2006]

I do some cater-waitering on the side, and you should see the stuff that gets thrown out at the end of the night! Entire trash barrels filled with fancy, high-end food. Of course, it gets thrown out only after the waitstaff pigs out, meaning you're not likely to find any filet mignon or prime rib in the dumpster.

Apparently there are state health laws prohibiting any food from leaving the premises as other than trash -- meaning we can't take any home, and none of it can be donated to a homeless shelter or anything.

[napster]

i think the new england states probably have the best dumpsters to sift through. dunkin doughnuts was probably the best dumpster score i saw in 07, lincoln i believe it was. terrible pickings in waynesboro, va...anybody else?

I tend to disagree.From what I read of Eric rud-olfs bio he lived close to the AT for 5 years on dumpster/cylo diving.

[Blue Jay]

i think the new england states probably have the best dumpsters to sift through. dunkin doughnuts was probably the best dumpster score i saw in 07, lincoln i believe it was. terrible pickings in waynesboro, va...anybody else?

I would have to say Kent, CT. Hanover is also good, any rich college town. Bob why are you posting on this thread, its no where near depressing enugh for you? However, it's a free country and I know dumpsters must depress you.

[spittinpigeon]

Surprisingly, Taco Bell provided good diving. And speaking of Kent, when I was there in the early fall of 06, there was a bearded guy on a bike towing a cart and he had a dog. Kinda strange, kinda sane guy into the 911 truth movement, anyone meet him? Anyway, this was around the time of the E-coli (was it E-coli?) in the spinach, he found tons of spinach and other food behind the Grocery store.

[Green Bean]

This subject was accually in the paper the other day worded "FREEGANS", the name given to dumpster divers, which i thought was pretty interesting because a buddy in class looked back and was like were freegans man. I really dont dumpster dive anymore which some consider a good thing but for real like i would go to the local grocery store about once a month and just fill army duffle bags full of food that expired that day or a day or two ta come, and would take it home and have quantities of food for backpacking trips and things.
I mean that was just the local grocery store throwing boxes upon boxes of food out that havent even been put on the shelves to be seen by the public it just printed on the box that contents expire by such and such date so they throw it out. imagine all the grocery stores that do that and then all the people that are starving in this country and around the world. ridiculous ~GB

[Mags]

As has been mentioned, any college town will have goodies on the curb, never mind a dumpster.

At CU, the average student comes from a well-to-do-family. The stuff they get rid off are often high quality. The local thrift stores sometimes have great scores for that reason as well.

[the goat]

all the people that are starving in this country and around the world. ridiculous ~GB

if someone is starving in the usa, they are a moron.

elsewhere though, i agree w/ your sentiment.